Before Life Catches Up To You
by x-jbn23
Summary: This story takes place during Rory's junior year, it actually comes before When The Past Catches Up To You. This is what leads up to what takes place in that story. Girls meets boy. They fall in love. Boy leaves.
1. Meeting Tristan's cousin

I don't own Gilmore Girls or the part that is like part of OTH.

This story comes before When the Past Catches Up to You. I will be stopping that story for now so I can get this story up. This is them when they met in high school and the events leading up to the other story.

This is junior year in Chilton, however Tristan is there and nothing happened between him and Rory. Rory did not and is not dating Dean, he is dating Lindsay. Jess is just friends with Lane and Rory. He is like an older brother to them because of his over protectiveness. Lane is dating Dave and is in the band; Mrs. Kim knows but is not exactly happy about the band part. Rory is friends with Paris, Madeline and Louise. If she ever needs someone to talk to she talks to Madeline, they are closer to then Rory is to Louise and Paris. Madeline is not stupid; she just likes gossiping more than spending time doing her work. Colin has known the three girls since he was a little kid. Also, Tristan is his cousin.

_Thoughts_

**Ch.1**

Rory was walking down Chilton's crowded halls with her nose in a book as usual, suddenly she ran into something (or someone) hard, she tumbled to the ground dropping her book. She looked up and saw a gorgeous brunette with intense green eyes staring down at her. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" Rory replied, having trouble finding her words.

Colin walked into Chilton; it was his first day at a new school without the other two musketeers. Logan got sent to London, Finn got sent to Australia, and as for himself, he got stuck in Hartford, living with his father and his newest step mother, the twenty one year old model, who just finished a couple of years at NYU for dancing and drama classes. It was sad considering he was seventeen and his step mom was only four years older than him. The three boys were not happy about being separated from each other during their junior year of high school. He had complained but no luck, at least he had his cousin and a few child hood friends. Now, he was looking around trying to find the headmaster's office, when all of a sudden he feels someone run into him. He looks down and sees the most beautiful woman he had seen before, and that was saying a lot considering Logan dated models. She had the most vibrant blue eyes, that complemented her brunette hair, these two qualities mixed together made her absolutely stunning. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" the girl replied. She started to pick up her book, but Colin got to it first.

**Colin:** Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen; good choice.

**Rory looked surprised:** Wow, you've read it. Sorry, but you don't seem like the kind of guy that reads Jane Austen. I am Rory, by the way.

**Colin:** Rory, nice name. I'm Colin. Could you point out the headmaster's office? My cousin was supposed to show me around but he decided "what the hell let Colin find his own way around."

**Rory:** Sounds like someone I know. I could be your tour guide, if I'm allowed.

Rory grabbed Colin's hand and pulled him through the halls, then she came to a complete stop and knocked on the Headmaster's door.

**Charleston:** Come in.

The two teens entered his office, Rory first with Colin following.

**Charleston:** Ahh Miss Gilmore, what can I do for you?

**Rory:** I was just showing Colin where to go.

**Charleston:** Oh I was wondering when you would arrive Mr. McCrea.

**Rory:** _McCrea?! His father is partnering with my Hayden grandparents at Hayden Law; his father is going to be a lawyer and partner at the company._

**Colin:** Hello headmaster. I was wondering my cousin is not here to show me around so I was wondering if Miss Gilmore could instead.

**Charleston:** Marvellous idea! With your grades, you two will probably bond instantly.

**Colin turns to Rory:** I am guessing you like perfection with your school work too.

**Rory nodded:** of course.

**Charleston:** Perfect! Miss Gilmore, make sure you show him all the important spots around the school; he, also, has your schedule so you can bring him to class when the tour is complete. Now go, I will notify your teachers.

The two headed into the hallway. As they exited Tristan was on his way in.

**Rory:** What, in trouble already, Bible Boy?

**Tristan:** No, just knew you would be here Mary. Plus my cousin here probably wouldn't mind my presence.

**Rory turned to Colin:** You are related to him?

Colin nodded.

**Rory:** I am so sorry for your misfortune.

Colin laughed.

**Tristan held his hand over his heart:** That hurt Mary that hurt bad.

**Rory:** Good, come on Colin; let's start that tour of hell!!

Colin continued to laugh; he waved to Tristan, and followed Rory down the hall. He paid close attention as she pointed random things. Then suddenly his cell phone started ringing.

**"Money money money money, MONEY**

**Money money money money, MONEY**

**Money money money money, MONEY**

**Some people got to have it**

**Hey, Hey, Hey - some people really need it"**

Colin looked apologetically at Rory, and then answered his phone.

**Colin:** Hey Logan.

**Logan:** Help! This school is seriously like a prison!

**Colin laughed:** At least you don't have to live at home with your father and his, I think, ninth, new wife that is only FOUR years older than you!

That statement made Rory laugh.

**Logan:** Who was that? You have a girlfriend already?

**Colin:** That was Rory; she offered to show me around after Tristan bailed.

**Logan:** Have you met or at least seen Tristan's Mary; THE girl that turned him down.

**Colin:** Yeah, that girl is Rory. She is really nice and it helps that she makes fun of Tristan all the time.

**Rory:** Hey! He deserves what he gets for annoying me and calling me Mary; and yes I know what it means.

**Logan heard her through Colin's phone and laughed:** I like this girl already.

**Colin:** I gotta go, I have to get to class, I will call you later.

**He turns to Rory:** One of my two best friends; we got kicked out of Andover boarding school and our parents told us that "they had, had enough" they sent Logan, who was just on the phone, to London, and my other friend, Finn, to Australia since his family is Australian and they have relatives there, and lucky me I get to be stuck in Hartford.

**Rory:** That sucks, my best friends don't go to this school, they go to the public school in the small town I live in. However I still have a couple of friends here, and one that I can really talk to.

**Colin:** You're nice; you're not from Hartford, are you?

**Rory:** Nope, I'm from Stars Hollow, it's about half an hour from here. It's known as small town USA or people think that most of the people in town deserve to be locked in a mental institute. Even a few of the sane residents think that.

Colin laughed.

**"Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-da  
Given good manners, you will go far  
You will live in happiness too  
Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do**

**Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do  
I have another puzzle for you  
Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-da-dee  
If you are wise, you'll listen to me"**

**Rory rolled her eyes, answered the phone, and put in on speaker phone: **Lorelai Leigh's house of whores, the slutty yet kinky whore speaking, if you need the crazy whore press two, the innocent whore press three, and the experienced whore press four.

Rory started giggling at the look on Colin's face.

**She mouthed:** Just wait.

**Lorelai:** Love it, absolutely love the greeting! We should use it on our home phone.

**Rory: **That would give Grandma a heart attack.

**Lorelai: **So if you are the slutty yet kinky whore, which one am I?

**Rory: **The crazy one, of course!

**Lorelai sounding offended:** CRAZY!? I spent twenty hours in labor with you; I'd be nice if I were you.

**Rory: **Twenty hours?

**Lorelai:** fine, eight but still.

**Colin mouthed to Rory:** Your Mom?

**Rory nodded:** Hey mom, could you watch your craziness tight now I am not alone.

**Lorelai sounding excited:** So you took my advice! I told you skipping class and hooking up in a Chilton classroom was fun.

Colin laughed at the look on Rory's face, she was blushing furiously.

**Rory:** Mom, NOOO!! I am showing Tristan's cousin around and now we are on our way to class.

**Lorelai:** What's his name? And is he as gorgeous as Tristan is?

**Rory shook her head:** Colin, his name is Colin. And I thought you only flirted with Tristan to make Grandma freak out.

Colin was now laughing hysterically.

**Lorelai:** No I was flirting because he was gorgeous; and I wanted my mother to freak out. You still never told me whether this Colin is gorgeous or not.

**Rory:** Hey, I know something that you will find hilarious! Guess how old his step mother is and what number she is. Plus I will just send a picture to you from my phone, and then you will have your own opinion like you do with Tristan.

**Lorelai:** Thank you, and it is your fault your eyes don't work and you can't tell that Tristan is a blonde god!! Ok, let me guess twenty seven and wife number three.

**Colin snorted:** nowhere close.

**Lorelai:** Ok society boy, tell me.

**Colin:** twenty one and the ninth wife.

Lorelai was silent for a moment.

**Rory:** Oh my god, you made Lorelai Victoria Gilmore speechless. I didn't think that, that was possible.

**Lorelai yelled:** TWENTY ONE that is like, four years older than you guys. NINTH; what is he doing?

**Colin:** Trading in for a newer, younger model, just like people do with cars, every few months sometimes he keeps them for a year but that is rare.

**Lorelai burst into laughter:** You must come to Stars Hollow, I have to meet you! Come today after school, that way Rory will get to ride in a fancy sports car. Now Rory will give you directions to our house, then you two can walk to Luke's for the nectar of the gods, kay! Love ya babe! Byee!

She hung up.

**Colin:** not that I would have said no, but did she just agree for me?

**Rory:** Yeah my mom is like that. She is one of a kind, but she is also like a best friend for me, other than Lane Kim, and Jess of course. Let's get to class.

Colin and Rory headed to English class. They walked in and handed Mr. Medina a note. Madeline and Louise squealed as they saw Colin.

**Paris:** Hey Colin, what's up?

**Colin:** Not much, Paris, not much.

**Paris:** Where are dumb and dumber?

**Colin:** Logan and Finn are in England and Australia.

**Rory:** You know Paris?

**Colin:** Yep she has known me and T since we were in diapers; we played in the sandbox together.

**Rory turned to Paris:** Aww what a sweet picture, that's so cute!

**Paris:** Shut it, Gilmore!

**Rory:** Whatever you say, Geller, whatever you say.

**Madeline turned to a confused Colin:** They have a love/ hate relationship. They are friends but also competition and they unite together during their Tristan bashing. Rory and I are closer though.

**Medina:** Enough catching up please do it on your own time. I am about to give out partners, you are to find out things about each other, personal things, there are a list of things you have to answer. Then you each need to take a photo of the other, this photograph must be unique and represent something about yourself that you told the other person. The rest of the photos you need for your presentation you do not have to be in, however if you would like to be you can. You do not reveal the personal info on the PowerPoint you just have the unique photographs.

Partners are Madeline with Tristan, Louise with Austin, Paris with Brad (Brad looks terrified)... and finally Rory with Colin.

You are to get together outside of class to make the presentation of pictures showing your information, to tell each other the info you will have this period. Leave this classroom but do not leave the campus, find an empty room or space to start the project in.

Rory grabs Colin's hand and brings him to a hidden staircase, she drags him up the stairs and they ended up on part of the roof of Chilton.

**Rory:** The paper says -Share something personal

-Share a secret

-What is a fear of yours?

-Where do you see yourself in ten years?

-Tell your partner about an important event in your life

-Tell your partner about your family.

**Colin:** Something personal, my best friends drink, party and are playboys, I did that stuff with them but that is their life and I want more, I don't want to party and get drunk the rest of my life.

**Rory nods understandingly:** Wow! Ummm... something personal, for about the first eight years of my life my mom and I lived in a tool shed behind the inn that my mom worked at, because she got pregnant with me at sixteen and she ran away from home.

**Colin:** Ok, what was that like?

**Rory:** It made my mom and me best friends and really close because we lived in such close quarters, and it was just the two of us.

**Colin:** Um, next a secret about yourself. I actually enjoy law. I want to take over my dad's company and become the best lawyer I can, meanwhile my friends feel trapped in their life because they don't exactly enjoy their parents business. Logan's parents are horrible, they even want to pick out his wife, or for him to pick off a list of suitable girls. Finn's parents are actually quite nice because they are international society, and they own hotel chains.

**Rory:** Really, most people know my Gilmore grandparents, but what people don't know is my other grandparents are really rich, also, though my dad's father told my mom she made a mistake and should have aborted me.

**Colin looked surprised, and then his expression changed to sad:** They actually told you that? Most society people are mean but that is cruel.

**Rory:** Nope, they told my mother and I overheard. Apparently even though my mom didn't marry my dad, and she ran away, they still say she ruined his life because he decided not to go to Princeton. My dad has never really been a constant in my life; he has been in and out since I was born. Once he was going to stay and be with my mom, this summer but then the girlfriend he was going to break up with ended up being pregnant. He said he didn't want to make the same mistake again, like he did not being in my life. So now he is with his pregnant girlfriend and still just pops into my life, except now I get a phone call every Wednesday morning. I guess I may as well explain the rest of my family and get that part over with.

Colin nodded.

**Rory:** Well my crazy town is like my family; they all love me and look out for my mom and me. Luke's is where we get all of our food considering we can't cook without probably burning down our house, plus the food would not be edible. He tries to get us to eat healthier but it never works. He has the best coffee in the world, which says a lot considering my mom and I are addicts, at least six cups a day; we have had coffee almost anywhere we go. Luke says it's going to kill us but we say that then we will at least die happy. He also says that because we don't eat vegetables or fruits. He is the father figure in my life, and has been since I was little. He used to bring me food when I was sick.

**Colin nodded:** Seriously! You must exercise a lot to stay that thin.

**Rory:** Nope, exercising is against the Gilmore Code. Anyways I really wanted to get into Chilton, but my mom didn't have enough money so even though she can't stand going to her parents for anything especially money, she went and asked them for a loan, and now we have Friday night dinners every week instead of only seeing them on holidays, like we used to. Okay that is pretty much it for my family, your turn.

**Colin:** No offence but I thought my family was screwed up. My mom died when I was about nine, from breast cancer. After that I think my dad waited a year then got himself a new wife, a little bit younger than my mom was. Then about ½ a year later he ended up with a new wife. His second wife bored him so he divorced her. Then he threw away his third wife, who was once again a little younger than the last. This continued until the one he just married, the twenty one year old. It was her idea to keep me here instead of shipping me off to boarding school in another country. She is more like a friend to me instead of a step mother because of her age. Though this one is nicer than the ones before her I still wish he could find a nice woman he likes that is round his age instead of around my age. Most of the time, when I came home from boarding school during holidays, Tristan or Madeline, Louise, and Paris would come and rescue me and I would hang out with them. They actually never mentioned you.

**Rory:** Just recently we became friends, thanks to fate; she ended up hating me because I ruined her project by accident on my first day at Chilton. Plus it didn't help that Tristan paid more attention to me, but she is over that and now we are friends.

**Colin:** Nice, she yelled at you didn't she?

**Rory:** Yep, you know, my mom and I call this place hell.

**Colin:** Really; the next thing on the list a fear of yours.

**Rory:** Disappointing my mom and grandparents. I used to think it was my fault that my dad wasn't there for my mom and I; I still worry about if I disappoint them enough, that they will leave me too. What about you?

**Colin:** My father loves me and is nice to me most of the time but I am scared that I will end up like him, married and divorced about ten times, and making work the most important thing in my life instead of my family.

**Rory:** Wow, see I never thought of it like that. I guess I am really lucky. So where do you see yourself in ten years?

**Colin:** Ten years? Umm hopefully I will have a wife that I am really in love with, a little son or daughter, and I will be a lawyer, successful or not, even if it is not at McCrea Law Firm. How about you?

**Rory:** I will be a Harvard graduate, I hope I will either be a foreign correspondent, or working at a paper like The New York Times, even a small town paper would be good, I just want to be a journalist; and I really hope I have a happy family and of course a daughter to be named Lorelai since Rory is a nickname off of Lorelai because my mom named me after herself and I need to keep up the tradition.

**Colin laughed:** So you know what university and career you want, impressive. Now the last part, tell your partner about an important event in your life.

**Rory:** One of the most important events for me was actually my mothers graduation from business school. I was so proud of her, because it got her closer to her dream of owning her own inn. She never got to finish high school because of me, considering she went to Chilton, but she went to business school anyway.

**Colin:** She sounds really brave.

**Rory:** She is she really is.

**Colin:** The most important event in my life was actually the day we found out my mom had breast cancer, and that it was too far along for her to live. That was, also, the same day she said no to treatment that would make her live maybe a few months longer than she already would. She said no because she wanted to travel the world before she died, and not be sick doing it; she wanted to enjoy it. So we went home and packed our bags, got on our private jet and started our journey around the world. She loved Australia the most because of the, really sexy Australian accents, her words not mine. Sometimes when I was sad, Finn would call his parents and he would get permission for the three of us to leave school, and the three of us would hop on his family's private jet, and we would fly to Australia for about a week and go to the beach, her favourite place.

**RING RING RING!!** The bell went to signal the end of the period.

The two Chilton students walked together, talking about random things now, they sat next to each other along with Madeline, Louise and Paris in every class; since the five were in every class together.


	2. Lunch and the journey to Stars Hollow

Ch.2

When lunch came Colin, Rory, Madeline, Louis and Paris walked towards the cafeteria, the girls steered Colin towards their regular table; Paris and Louise on one side and Colin, Madeline and Rory on the other with Rory in between the other two. After about 10 minutes they had their own conversations going, Paris and Louise about class and well, gossip, against Paris' complaints, and Colin listened in on Madeline and Rory talking about Stars Hollow.

**Madeline:** How is Lane? Are her and Dave is together? They make such a cute couple, oh and how's the band doing?

**Rory:** Lane is great, her and Dave are still together and very happy. They do make a really cute couple but don't tell her that, the band is awesome and they still do Christian get-togethers for Mrs. Kim and of course the money.

**Colin:** Lane?

**Madeline:** Rory's other best friend, other than me, of course.

**Rory:** You'll meet Lane later when we go to Stars Hollow.

**Madeline:** You're going to Stars Hollow?

**Colin:** Yeah Lorelai invited me and we have our project to work on.

**Madeline:** Oh how did Lorelai, someone you don't even know, con you into travelling to Stars Hollow to meet her?

**Rory:** She told him he was going to then before he could say yes or no she said bye and hung up; my mom's signature move.

**Madeline:** Yep, classic Lorelai.

**Colin:** She's always like that?

**Rory:** Of course, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

**Madeline:** Yeah she is like a mom to me, I even have my own room in their house, well, and it's my room and also a sewing room for Lorelai.

**Colin:** Cool, so it's your home away from home.

**Madeline:** Of course!

**Rory:** And again, we wouldn't have it any other way!

The bell rang. Colin helped Rory up from her chair and then they walked to class together.

After the last bell had rung, they walked out to Maddie's car and Louise's car. They split up putting Paris with Louise and putting Rory and Colin with Maddie. Colin's car was in the shop so he was glad that Maddie had room.

**Louise's Car**

**Paris:** How long will it take for Gilmore to figure out that he really likes her and that she really likes him, and for them to start dating?

**Louise:** I'm betting over a month.

**Paris:** Okay 50 dollars says that she figures it out within a month.

**Louise:** You are so on. Easy money, she still thinks Tristan just likes to annoy her.

**Paris:** Yes but Colin is not like that, he is just a little more forward after hanging with the stooges. Plus homecoming is within the month that I bet and if he really likes her he will ask her to homecoming.

**Louise:** Damn it I never thought about homecoming.

**Paris:** That is why I am the smart one.

Just as Paris and Louise finished their conversation and turned up their music so if was blaring they passed the sign welcoming them to Stars Hollow.

**Maddie's car**

**Rory:** So Colin what do you think? Is it Fairytale like enough for you? Because once you meet the people your sure to change your mind from fairytale to mental institute.

**Colin:** You are right about the fairytale part, my friend Finn Rothschild would absolutely love this place and if it is full of crazies then he would fit right in too.

_**Sorry so short and kinda late along with the updates on my other stories i started them and then exams and final projects made me unable to complete them. But today i got my report card so i should be able to update more often now. Thanks for all the reviews.**_

_**--jn**_


End file.
